Librations

Here at the University of Colorado-Boulder, we recently completed a partial renovation of our main library.  We added a technology-equipped learning commons (open 24/5!), a coffee shop (serving high-quality caffeine from local business The Laughing Goat), several new instructional spaces, a more welcoming reference area, and much more (read all about it here).

We anticipated that the new spaces would be popular with students, but the response has been even better than we expected.  The library is busier than anyone has ever seen it (especially for this early in the term), and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

But in the midst of our excitement, there is concern.  If the library is full of students and faculty now, what will it look like during midterms and finals?  Will we be able to handle the increased traffic?  Will quality of service suffer?  And how do we spin all of this to our advantage (convincing administration that we need more space, funds, staff, and resources)?  It’s really the kind of problem you wish for, which has caught us a bit off guard.

Is your organization facing a similar challenge?  Maybe you’ve recently introduced a new collection or service, and are overwhelmed by the response you’ve received.  I’m interested in hearing other stories about what to do when things go well, rather than just when they flop.

[This post originally appeared on ArLiSNAP.org]

I am starting my second (and final) year at SI this week and I am trying to prepare for the incoming deluge of information and communications by updating my various connecting portals to my classmates, my employers, and the world in general. Obviously connectivity depends on personal preferences but I find it amazing that we all have so many identities online these days, more and more reflecting portals for our “real” personalit(ies) (Skype, LinkedIn, Facebook) but just as many for the other identities we would like to hold true as parts of ourselves. I am now connected on Skype (I just got my first camera for my computer. It is an old skool eyeball and I am thinking of adding antennae or something to give it a personality.) so I can talk to my niece in Colorado. I am now connected on LinkedIn so I can attract potential employers with my stunning resume and associated activities. I am about to buy a new cell phone and just upgraded my text plan so I can be accessible anywhere (pretty much. I still won’t do the iphone or blackberry thing) to my employers and classmates. I am entrenched in Facebook. I forget about my MySpace profile but that’s still out there too… wasting away with past updates and song preferences.

And today I tried to become a member of ALA and PLA. I got about halfway through the form and their website went down. Again and again. Why is it that the national organization for those who network and connect people to information and people to people keeps repeatedly discouraging me from joining their throngs of committees, round tables, organizations, and initiatives through poorly managed web content? If I continue to have trouble with this my ADD-attuned fingers may just forget about one of the potentially most important connecting opportunities I need to take advantage of me. It’s what happened last year at this time. I need to make amends but I may end up hanging out on Skype instead. Or start making YouTube videos for my own amusement. Really, I think I just need a beer with friends.

So: ALA and PLA members–was it hard for you to sign up? Has it been worth it to be part of the organization? Do you use Skype? What’s it like?